Demented soiling cat

[wtffgs]

DCat is 16, has a medicated thyroid condition. Two clean litter trays, 2 Feliway plug-ins plus daily Feliway spray in other rooms. He is still pooing up to 3 times a day outside the tray. He often gets muddled and doesn't go outside often or for long. He mostly seems to try to steal food (eats 5 pouches a day plus Wellbeloved senior biscuits). I am at the end of my tether. I can't bear to euthanise for such a trivial reason but nor can I bear the unsanitary state of the house. I use cleaning products which break down the wee and poo odours.

Any ideas? TIA

You talked about pooing but where is he peeing, OP?

In the litter tray There is definitely no wee with his little piles of poo (laminate floors)

I had an elderly cat who pooed uncontrollably all over the place if she had cat food in jelly, but was fine with gravy. It took ages to make the connection. Otherwise you could try more trays, we have them in all sorts of places, a tray behind the sofa is better than poo on the carpet.

Bless him. Have you tried two trays? One for wee, one for poo? We had a very old ginger tom who had dementia. He used to poo in the bath. It seemed he didn't want to wee and poo in the same place. He never wee'd in the house. He had free outdoors access.

Ah crosspost with chemenger.

I had a very similar problem, old cat who had had thyroid removed, then went blind & gradually more frail. He would wee in the litter tray but would solemnly get out & poo on the floor...I put puppy training pads under & around the litter tray so that any accidents could be whisked away quickly, and I also bought cereal-free dry food for him (James well beloved) as he did have quite a sensitive tummy. Family & friends were secretly a bit horrified I think, that we put up with the cat's dodgy toilet habits, but he was part of the family & we decided that until his quality of life deteriorated, we would manage things. I must say after he died it was a relief to be without the puppy pads & the endless packs of kitchen roll, but at the time we didn't really notice!

Also just another thought - is his eyesight OK as we didn't notice when our cat went blind, until he fell off the sofa one evening - it was indirectly linked to his thyroid condition (through high blood pressure). We were advised to try a lower-sided litter tray, kind of like a plant tray, to make it easier for him to step in & out (as he was getting a bit stiff as well as blind)

The puppy pads are a good idea. I have noticed he messes less at the weekend when I'm around so maybe I should just give up work......

It's not a trivial reason. Cats like to be clean- he can no longer keep himself clean. I'm really sorry, but the proper thing to do is to have him PTS.

No advice but got a similar thing going on here.

Cat is 18 and although she goes in the tray she gets out too soon and it all sticks to her then she drags her long haired arse all over the house.

Twice in 12 hours I've had to clean smeared shit from all over her and the house. It's getting me down.

At least DCat is a short hair though I did have to pull a long blade of poo-smeared grass out of his bum hole the other day I have no idea how he got it stuck there

Has anyone heard of/used a thunder shirt?